Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night's sleep, you might have sleep apnea.
The main types of sleep apnea are:
1. Obstructive sleep apnea, the more common form that occurs when throat muscles relax
2. Central sleep apnea, which occurs when your brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing
3. Complex sleep apnea syndrome, also known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, which occurs when someone has both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.
If you've been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea— a condition in which muscle relaxation around the tongue and throat causes the tissues to block airflow to the lungs while you're sleeping— there are a variety of treatment options to talk to your physician. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and dental appliances or mouth guards are two of the most commonly used and most reliable.